Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

DD turned three months old yesterday. As a birthday present, we decided to try to transition her to the crib again from the FP Rock N' Sleeper..again..

Background: We tried this at 2 months with horrible results, she'd wake up crying once an hour. Did it for a week and gave up. Since then, she's done naps in the crib successfully with a pacifier.

At night in her sleeper, she was sleeping from 8-7 and after her feed, kept going until 9.. no pacifier. I feel the need to get this transition to the crib done ASAP since I go back to work on 1/3 and don't want to do it then.

Night one of experiment - Put herself to sleep without the paci. Woke up 5 times wimpering, each time we gave her the paci and she was out right away. The lack of a paci doesn't wake her up, her flailing around does, the paci just helps her get back to sleep. (she does put herself back to sleep many times, but sometimes can't and cries and this is when I put the paci in)

Obviously, if she could pop in her own paci, we'd be golden.

I don't mind the wakeups since I'm on maternity leave, but is sleeping on the hard crib mattress really something she's going to get used to if she's still always flailing around?

WWYD?
-Should I rock her each time she wakes up?
-Continue popping in the paci even though it might create a reliance?
-Go back to the sleeper and Keep her in it until the very last second she can stay in it <25lbs or can sit up by herself>

Help please!

Message edited 12/8/2010 9:21:15 AM.

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

How long do you let her cry for before putting in the paci? I would try to let her cry a bit before putting it back in to see if she will fall back asleep.

Also, don't worry about the pacifier, its fine for them up to one year I think - and you can deal with it then LOL


I would try to do everything BEFORE you go back to work, trust me! LOL you will be tired and very cranky!

Message edited 12/8/2010 9:24:40 AM.

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

What about giving her a lovey? We did this with DS and it worked very well. He had no interest in the pacifier once he was about 2-3 months, but he kept looking for something to "soothe" him when he was in the crib. We gave him one of those stuffed animal heads with a blanket from Carters. It was perfect for him.

ETA: I would also let her whimper or fuss a bit to see if she can get herself back to sleep.

Message edited 12/8/2010 9:53:46 AM.

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

Just based on what you said about her waking up due to flailing around- have you tried swaddling her?
For my DD that is the only thing that keeps her asleep for longer than 20 minutes at night. She moves around way too much and wakes herself up without it.
If she is not waking up due to losing the paci, but waking up due to flailing, maybe that would help?

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

My DS is 3 months today too and we are still swaddling him at night. Until the flailing stops we will continue to do it, as he sleeps comfortably for 6-8 hours in his crib. When is the flailing supposed to stop, anyway???

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

At 3m, I popped the paci after letting DS whine for 1-3 minutes. I don't know if this, or something else did it, but it kept him from loosing it.

I did this for a week, and he almost never let it go for 2 months, then he learned to pop it in himself and started pulling it out and throwing it out of the crib. So I keep like 4 or 5 in there.

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

I'd see if she'll go down being swaddled. DD still flails about in her sleep, but doesn't really wake herself up anymore.

I'd keep at it and not put her back in the sleeper. Otherwise it will be worse when you are tending to her overnight when you have to be up for work in just a few short hours. Use the pacifier as much as you have to, or do as we did, which was encourage her to use her thumb. I know its in someways a harder habit to break, but DD can now self soothe back to sleep on her own without a prop.

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

Definitley try swaddling. Worked wonders for us.

At that age- sometimes I would have to go in several times a night to give DD her paci until she learned to get it herself.
It worked for us because she did sleep through the night- minus those occasional wake up's.
I would definitely not keep going back to the sleeper. Keep trying with the crib.

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

I say keep the paci going and swaddle if you can. I did CIO at 4 months old for DS because he was a TERRIBLE sleeper. It worked, but I wouldn't recommend it younger than that.

I wouldn't worry about the paci becoming a problem either. DS uses it in his crib only and knows when he's out of the crib, the paci doesn't come out either. He's 13 months and is fine with it. There are many times now that he'll throw them out of the crib and is fine sleeping w/o it. (I keep like 6 in his crib so he can always find one if he needs it.) but you're months from that....

I say transition now so when you do go back to work, life is that much easier for you! GL!

Re: Crib transition, pacifiers, WWYD? Need advice...

Def keep it up in the crib. It may take some time but she will get used to it.

We swaddled DS until 4 months, used a lovey and paci. When he started waking at night around 4 months, we weaned him from the swaddle. It was tough because he was all over the crib and waking himself up. But eventually he found a position (usually on his side) and STTN maybe after a couple of weeks of not using the swaddle. Oh and we would let him cry for up to 20 minutes before going in- this helped to stop the wakeups. I never picked him up, just gave him his paci, rubbed his back or head and left.

He still sleeps with his paci and lovey and we have to get up maybe 1-2 times to put the paci in. He can do it himself but not while he's half asleep so we do it for him so he doesn't wake himself completely up.